The Most Important Rebels, No. 13: Fahn Cooper

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OXFORD -- Welcome back to what is quickly becoming a Clarion-Ledger tradition: the 75 Most Important Rebels.

If you're not familiar, each you we countdown the players who matter to the success of Ole Miss football. This is not a straight talent-evaluation: role matters, which means a true special-teamer (long-snapper Will Denny, for example) is more valuable than the third-team left tackle.

No. 13: Fahn Cooper

Position: Right tackle

Year: Redshirt junior

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 315 pounds

In 2013: Cooper took a bet on himself, leaving a starting job at Bowling Green for the College of DuPage (Illinois) in hopes of eventually securing a scholarship at a major conference school. That worked out for Cooper -- he was a second-team JUCO All-American and Ole Miss targeted him to fill a pressing need at offensive tackle.

Offseason: Cooper committed in December and it initially looked like he was going to be a midyear signee that was able to play in the spring. That did not happen -- Cooper had work to do academically and did not sign until February, and did not arrive in Oxford until earlier this summer. That was a bummer at the time, but Ole Miss also had a promising sophomore in Austin Golson at right tackle and anything that led to him getting more practice snaps could only be positive right? The only exception being if the player immediately left after the spring, which is of course what happened.

In 2014: Ole Miss released a preseason depth chart earlier this week, one that did not include anyone who was not in Oxford in the spring. Robert Conyers, a redshirt sophomore without a tremendous amount of actual playing experience, was No. 1 at right tackle and just ahead of redshirt freshman Davion Johnson. Cooper has more experience than both, and he's the odds-on favorite to be the starter when Ole Miss takes the field against Boise State in six weeks. Ole Miss is replacing three offensive line starters while also trying to improve the line as a whole, and being able to do so may very well be the difference between a "fine" season and one that improves on last season's 8-5 record. Cooper has the most potential impact of any of the replacements, and has to actualize that this season.

Sports Columnist:
Hugh Kellenberger is the Clarion-Ledger's columnist, covering the entire state of Mississippi. He covered Ole Miss for 3.5 years as the beat writer, and has previously covered the Big Ten, the ACC, the NHL and local events during a 10-year career.